Top high school seniors compete for $4 million in scholarships

Feb. 6, 2004

KALAMAZOO--About 800 of the brightest high school seniors
in Michigan and 10 other states will gather at Western Michigan
University over two Saturdays, Feb. 14 and 21, for the 20th annual
Medallion Scholarship Competition.

These academic stars from more than 300 high schools will
converge on the WMU campus to compete for more than $4 million
in four-year scholarships to attend WMU beginning this fall.
Accompanying the students will be more than 1,200 parents, who
will take part in informational sessions and other activities.

The Medallion Scholarship Competition is one of the biggest
events of its kind in Michigan. Since it began in 1984, about
$80 million in four-year scholarships has been offered to more
than 14,000 students.

The annual event allows students to compete for Medallion
Scholarships worth $32,000, Board of Trustees Scholarships worth
$24,000 and WMU Academic Scholarships worth $4,800. This year's
awards will be offered by March 31.

The prestigious Medallion Scholarships cap off the competition
and are among the largest merit awards in American public higher
education. To date, these top awards have amounted to nearly
$7 million and have been given to 335 students, including 21
students in 2003.

Only the cream of the crop of each year's high school graduating
classes is invited to attend the Medallion Scholarship Competition.
To be invited, students had to apply to WMU by Dec. 31 and have
at least a 3.8 grade point average and American College Test
score of 25 or higher.

In determining recipients for the three types of scholarships
offered, the selection committee considers grades, courses, test
scores and performance in the on-campus competition as well as
leadership activities, recommendations and, in some cases, personal
interviews.

The students invited to compete this year include 382 who
have perfect 4.0 GPAs and 169 who have ACT scores of 30 or higher,
the highest being 35.

The parent agenda will feature sessions on the Lee Honors
College, financial aid, housing and study abroad as well as discussions
with some current scholarship recipients and parents of current
recipients. In addition, parents will have an opportunity to
tour the Eldridge-Fox residence halls and the Student Recreation
Center.

Event registration will take place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
each Saturday in the first floor lobby of the Bernhard Center.

At 9:30 a.m. in the center's East Ballroom, the Medallion
Scholarship Competition participants will be welcomed by John
Fraire, WMU dean of admissions. Also welcoming these admitted
students will be Dr. E. Thomas Lawson, chairperson of the Medallion
Selection Committee and professor of comparative religion, and
Jodi Ward, competition coordinator and assistant director of
admissions.

In the morning, representatives from more than 30 University
departments and offices will be available to provide information
about the services and resources they offer. Throughout the rest
of the day, students participating in the competition will take
part in essay writing and group problem solving activities. They
also will attend panel discussions featuring some of the current
Medallion Scholarship recipients and representatives of the Lee
Honors College.

Besides the Bernhard Center, events will take place in Sangren
Hall, Wood Hall, the Fetzer Center, Schneider Hall and the Lee
Honors College building.